Machine for seamless cans



v30 rollers.

I Patented Oct. 9, 1928.

ARTHUR w. SPAULDIVING, or onKLAN'n, CALIFORNIA.

MAo IunJroR snAML ss onus; 7

Application filed July 5,1927. Serial No. 203,527.

"Mv invention relatesto improvements in,

machinery the manufacture'of cans and the objects of my improvement are to provide means for feeding the wall ofa tube between rollers. means for enlarging the tube by rolling, automatic means for changing the angle of the tube in relation to the rollers and so.

causing its return and discharge. v

1 accomplish these objects by the means illustrated in the accompan ing drawings, in

whichi a e 1 is a perspective of ,themachine guide removed, 2 is a perspective View of the tube to be 2:: '2 control, and

1g. 1 is an TS. I t: J Qhe metal block 1 acts as a bearing for the F1 3 18 a plan view of the uides and their elevation of the shafts and main roller 2. The upper roller consists of a heavy sleeve 3 titted upon the end of a shaft 4:. The shaft lies in a housing 5 which is the block 1 on either side of the bol s 7 sun oortin a cross-bar i l e 9 for regulating the pressure between the On both sides of the sleeve roller 3 are guides 10, bearing small rollers 11. The guides are mounted. upon vertical rods 12 which pass downward thru the block 1. By us of set screws 3%, bell cranks 13 are .ched to the rods 12below the blockl, and at tie opposite ends are connected by a drag rod M of right length to keep the bell .cranks parallel.

A. spring 15, coiled upon the pm 16 wlthin 40 a cyl iderll', has a projecting end 18. The spring bears upon a pin 19 in the drag rod 14. ng core of the solenoid 20is attached the bell cranks 13 by the rod 21.

e of the block 1 is mounted a slidrod provided at one end with a hook .45); at the other with an electric contact 24, and in the middle with a sliding stop having a horizontal arm 26.

To the side of block 1 is rotatablyattached A t the the vertical arm 27 of a horizontal lever 28. A balancing weight 29 is ad ustably attached Electrlc wires 30 run to one end of the lever from the sliding switch 24'to the solenoid 20. At the rear of the upper roller 1 is the gear wheel 31, meshing with the gear wheel 32 .nted upon the block 1 by means of a t. ie center of which is an adjust-ing screw upon the-larger roller. A third gear 33 cons nects with a sourceof power.

In operation, the tube 35 1s placed between the rollers 11' ofthe guideslO, and on'eedge of the tube is fed between; the rollers 2 and 3 in such a manner that-the axis'of the tube, in plan view, is at an angle-to the axes of the rollers. The tube 35 is of malleable metal,- usually hot drawn, and of small diameter. Rollin down the'walls of the tube enlarges it to SllltilDlG dimension for fruit, or other, cans.

The can with a seamless wall has numerous advantages, among which are the possibility of a mors perfect seal at the ends, elimination of washers at. the ends, and a greatly strengthened wall. 1 I

' l/Vhen fed at the proper angle, the tubeis caught by the rollers and drawnin and the wall reduced in thickness. Itis also enlarged.

By passing the tube thru a succession of rollers it may be enlarged to the desired size. l/Vhenthe tubestrikes the arm 26 of the stop 25, the sliding rod 22 is pushed back until the electric switch 2 1 is operated. Electric current then actuates the solenoid 20, and the sliding core operating thru the bell cranks 13 and the drag rod 14:, cause the reversing of the guides 10. As soon as the angle of the tube 35 is shifted to feed from the opposite side of the rollers, it feeds back out of the machine, undergoing still further enlargement as it returns.

In dropping from the rollers the tube strikes the lever 28. A vertical arm 27 is attached at right angles to lever 28. The arm 27 is pivoted at the center to the block 1 in such manner that when the lever 28 is forced down, the top half of arm 27 is forced forward. As it comes forward, it engages hook 23 and draws sliding rod 22 forward until the electric contact of switch 24: is broken. The action of solenoid 20 is then halted. The coiled spring 15 then acts upon the drag rod andthe guides 10 are brought back into their original position.

I claim: e

1. A machine .for the manufacture of seamless cans comprising rollers suitably mounted in bearings, anadjusting screw for regulating the pressure between said rollers, guides" governing the angle at which the tube for the seamless wall of the can is fed between the rollers, and means forreversing the angle of the guides so that the tube will be fed back out of the machine.

' housing, a crossbar between said bolts, and

an adjusting screw working thru said crossbar, guides for directing a tube to said rollers at determined angle; means for changing the angle of said guides, consisting ofvertical rods on either side of said rollers passing thru the main block, small rollers mounted upon said guides,-bell cranks attached to the lower ends of said rods, a drag rod connecting the free ends of said bell cranks, 'asolenoid with a core connected with .one of said bell cranks, and a spring with an action upon said drag rod counter to the action of said solenoid; a reversing means consisting of a slidalole rod mounted at one edge of said main block having a hook at one end, an electric contact at the other, and an ad ustable stop between, and a lever, having a vertical arm and a horizontal arm mounted upon the side of said main block, the vertical arm of said lever impinging upon said hook and the horizontal arm swinging out beneath the'ends of said rollers.

3. A machine for enlarging tubes compris a ing housings hinged together at one end, means for ad usting the distance between the loose ends, shafts within said housings, rollers at one end of said shafts, means for rotatv ing said rollers upon each other, guides for 40 directing a tube toward the rollers ata given angle, and means for automatically changing the angle of said guides with respect to said rollers.

LA rolling machine having means for directing a tube'toward rollers at a desired angle, means for reversing the angle after a determined amount of rolling, and means for again setting the directing means at the original angle as the tube leaves the machine.

In testimony whereof, I hereby affix my signature.

ARTHUR. w. sriinnnrne; 

